Hardik Pandya missed Mumbai Indians (MI)'s match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) due to back spasms. Meanwhile, vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav also left the match due to personal reasons. This allowed Jasprit Bumrah To lead MI for the first time.
Bumrah did not make even the slightest mistake after winning the toss and deciding to bowl first. Although he did not get any wickets with the ball, he actively led the team and ultimately MI won the match by six wickets with one ball to spare.
Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar said he would like to see Bumrah lead the five-time champions. The cricketer turned commentator urged the MI management to look beyond their current captain Hardik Pandya.
“I would love to see Jasprit Bumrah captain because I don't think anyone reads the game as well as he does. What he does with the ball is not just about his action or his skill. It is also about anticipation, reading batsmen, understanding situations and assessing pitches,” Manjrekar told Sportstar.
He said, “I think they have to look beyond Hardik Pandya. I would really like Bumrah to be given a short-term opportunity because it is not as much of a burden on him as being India's Test captain, where he has to be fit and ready for every Test match. I just hope that Mumbai Indians consider Bumrah as their captain in the near future.”
“Even if he was bowling only at 135 kmph, he could still captain” – Sanjay Manjrekar on Jasprit Bumrah as India's Test captain
Manjrekar said that despite the absence due to workload management, Bumrah should have been appointed captain of the Indian Test team after Rohit Sharma retired from the format. Instead, India appointed Shubman Gill as captain to maintain continuity, which Manjrekar believes has been overrated.
“Even in England, I believed that even if he was bowling at 135 kmph, he could still captain. I don't think captaincy changes things so dramatically because we have seen many examples in Indian cricket. For example, when Virat Kohli left the captaincy [during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy] For paternity leave, and Ajinkya Rahane took over, India still won. A change in captaincy doesn't suddenly change the team,'' Manjrekar said (via the above source).
“So I think the idea that the captain has to play all five or six Test matches is a bit exaggerated. If your team is full of players who have performed well, you should try to give the leadership to the best captain whenever he is available. It also needs to be someone capable. Bumrah has the qualities and hard work behind him.”
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